Primula returns to TV after a 3-year hiatus

Watch the full TVC below

“Our strategy focused on driving brand fame amongst category shoppers, harnessing the unrivalled power of TV as lead medium to deliver high reach and build positive emotional connections for Primula,” said Amy Cresswell, managing partner at Alchemy Media.

“With the support of ITV to bring this much-loved brand back to TV screens and into homes across the UK, the media value we’ve secured for Primula is phenomenal and will make this campaign unmissable amongst the target audience across the Summer.”

The 30-second advert, due to air across ITV, ITV Breakfast and ITVX from today, comes as the new packs hit the shelves in supermarkets across the country and is supported by 10-second cut downs, print, digital media, POS, social and PR – all of which have been designed to hero the squeeze and bring 3 new Primula characters to life.

“As we launched the new Primula packs, we knew we needed a brave, fame driving campaign to really catapult the brand back into the nation’s consciousness, reminding people what a fantastic product Primula is and we think we’ve achieved that with this new creative,” said Lisa Thornton, head of marketing at Primula.

The campaign, conceptualised and produced by Powerhouse, heroes The Squeeze, bringing to life the fun and convenience of Primula cheese, through a series of relatable and engaging characters, scenarios, and usage occasions.

Rebecca Jones, client services director at Powerhouse, said: “Working on Squeeze has been an exciting journey. We’re proud of the creative concept and how it’s been brought to life. Our goal was to infuse the entire production with the same ease and enjoyment you feel when squeezing Primula cheese. Making sure everyone involved – client, partners and crew – enjoyed the process as much as people enjoy using the product. We know that this sense of joy will be felt by consumers too when they see the campaign.”

The advert, which repeatedly switches the word ‘cheese’ for ‘squeeze’, to sell the inimitable Primula format, tells the story of three different squeezers using Primula cheese in their own unique way.

Student Sarah elevates her early morning, post-night out snack to Squeeze and Beans as she enjoys Primula Original Cheese on beans on toast as the sun rises.

Tired parents Phil and Sue collapse into the sofa together, after a long day, with a decadent bowl of ‘Squeezy Fries’ made better by Primula Cheese & Chive.

And eccentric grandma Vera, never leaves the house without her tube of Primula Cheese & Ham which she mischievously squeezes over her diner burger, whilst exclaiming “mmmm Squeezeburger.”

The fun but relatable characters also appear across the print, POS, social and digital media assets, creating a truly holistic creative campaign this summer.

Primula has enlisted the support of award-winning PR and social media agency, Prohibition PR, for the upcoming summer B2C campaign supporting the ATL, highlighting the distinctive quirks, comforting classics, and unconventional recipes that define British cuisine.

Primula has not disclosed the budget for the multichannel campaign, but said it represents its “largest investment to date,” as well as its inaugural collaboration with production agency, Powerhouse.

What is evident is the company’s commitment to giving back, with all profits directed to charitable causes, through the brand’s owner the Kavli Trust. In 2022 Primula donated £6m to charitable causes through the trust.

Following initial launch in June, the Squeeze campaign will return to the nation’s screens in time for Christmas 2024.